Post #311491 by Sneakytiki on Wed, Jun 6, 2007 9:06 PM

On 2007-05-17 21:46, Tiki-Kate wrote:
I'm going to give this a shot. I have no details though. Just a few pics from New Zealand museums.

Okay, I'm going to try to help ID some of these.

Top pic. are shield/skull racks from N. New Guinea in the Papuan Gulf area.

The white and brown female figure in the second from top pic. with hands above her head meeting at center is a Kulap figure from New Ireland, these were mortuary figures from the S. of New Ireland. I believe this figure was collected by the Rev. George Brown in 1878.

The mask with white and black elements in the bottom pic. is the only mask style ever recorded from Micronesia. Masks were abundant in Melanesia and altogether lacking in Polynesia. Current theory is that Micronesia was settled from Melanesia from the South, the Phillipines and Indonesia from the West, and from Polynesia from the East. This mask is thought to represent a Melanesian cultural influence. The mask is from Satawan Atoll, Mortlock Islands, Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia. The feather cape to the right of the black and white mask is Polynesian, specifically Hawaiian.

In the picture above the feather cape and mask the cone shaped sculpture to the left of the brightly painted Melanesian figure is from Buka, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea.

The paddle in the picture above the brightly colored New Guinea figure is from Buka, Solomon Islands, New Guinea also.

The brightly colored figure is from the Sepik river region of New Guinea, and I'd have to attribute it to the Abelam tribe, as painted it is obviously post contact due to the divergence away from the worldwide very common color scheme of stone-age cultures, red oxide, white clay, black charcoal, and sometimes yellow ochre.

That's all for tonight. I thought it was ashamed that these items were not attributed. I hope this is good info. for some of you. Possibly interesting to Tiki Kate.

Aloha!
ST

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-06-15 14:22 ]